Vertical Blinds, Fabric Or PVC?

There are three main reasons for using vertical blinds. The first purpose is to serve as a lovely part of the decoration of your home. Vertical blinds can add an illuminated area of interest to a large portion of any room. The second is making the inside of your home more private and less visible to people outdoors. Lastly, blinds are employed to block sunlight from passing through a window and heating the room.

Vertical blinds help insulate a room from the excess heat caused by sunlight, thereby reducing the expense of providing additional air conditioning or ventilation. Although the vinyl blinds industry doesn't want you to know it, blinds produced from polyester woven fabric are far superior to PVC-based vertical blinds insofar as blocking sunlight and heat coming into the room. Vertical blinds made of PVC do not block a significant amount of heat from entering the room. While they do provide some privacy, and reduce the amount of light entering through the window, PVC blinds louvers are not effective enough at keeping the heat out of a room to provide much in the way of energy savings. You will still find yourself having to air condition, or otherwise cool the room. Besides the heat which enters the room, there is also a less often considered, yet still significant, amount of ultraviolet or UV light that enters as well, which can be harmful in excess amounts.

Even though some PVC-based blinds have a special protective layer, polyester woven fabric blinds are still far better at reducing the amount of damaging ultraviolet light entering a room. Polyester woven fabric blinds are much less rigid which is a big plus when compared to the more inflexible and stiffer PVC based louvers. This provides for more give, or the degree to which the blinds can stretch either vertically or sideways before they are damaged or distorted.

The blinds will not become distorted, buckled or mangled. Even after long-term use these blinds will maintain their same flush fit as when new. In the current climate of the world today, we also need to consider the environmental consequences of the materials we choose to use in our homes.

The hydrochloric acid released during the disposal and destruction of PVC-based blinds and products is very dangerous and corrosive. In reality, hydrochloric acid is thought to be responsible for acid rain, and it has been considered to have been the cause of much harm and damage to the environment. Woven fabrics are undoubtedly kinder to the environment than PVC-based blinds. When vertical blinds made from woven fabrics have reached the end of their inevitable lifespan and are in need of replacement, they are much more environment-friendly.

The last important advantage of woven fabric blinds over PVC based vertical blinds relates to the weight factor. Woven fabric blinds weigh far less than PVC-based blinds. The weight of the fabric may not seem to matter when just opening or closing the blind, but a heavier fabric will ensure the blind hangs more as it should, and be less prone to movement due to wind. Vertical blinds look different because there is more weight on them.

In conclusion, vertical blinds produced from woven polyester fabric possess significant advantages over blinds made from PVC plastic. This is the time to go and get the best, fabric vertical blinds are the choice for nearly every buyer. Enjoy the beauty.

Vertical Blinds With Valances Are Complete

A car is not much more than a huge machine with a pretty cover and some nice seats. When you buy a car, however, you are buying the cover for the car, much more than you are buying the machine. The same goes for vertical blinds. In the case of vertical blinds, these are complicated mechanisms that have a decorative and functional material hanging below. Consider that the valance is a part of the vertical blinds that makes the machine of the system disappear.

A vertical blinds track is made, usually, of a large extruded aluminum section. This part, called a track, is sometimes a painted light color, and other times, it is a raw looking aluminum. Some of these vertical blinds use a steel headrail, however, these are the less popular and lower quality systems. Dangling slightly below the vertical blinds tracks are plastic carriers, which are made from a white or clear plastic. Even if these plastic parts are clear, they are still visible when the track system is not covered.

Also at the top of a vertical blind are the tops of the slats, or vanes. These are the attractive fabric material hanging from the tracks, and covering the window. The decorative problem is the need to attach these nice looking products to the control system for the vertical blind. The need creates what the window treatment industry calls slat punches or slat holes. The slat holes are not pretty, but they are consistent, usually. However, they do make a horizontal line of holes at the top of the slats.

So, the vertical blind does as much as covering the window well, but the fabric vertical blinds vanes do not, in and of themselves, cover the track or the holds at the tops. Therefore, vertical blinds should have a covering for the machinery at the top.

To this end, blinds will have a valance to cover the mechanism. A vertical blinds valance is not always included as a free option, but some companies do include one. The cost can be high to add one, as this is where some suppliers get consumers with extra charges. However, when the basic one comes with the vertical blinds, this is usually enough. The valance system will attach very easily, and is simple to setup. The appearance of the valance is of a groover system with the fabric inserted into the groovers.

The valance will usually hang, when properly installed, slightly below the bottom of the plastic vane carriers. This allows the valance to cover the machinery that powers the vertical blinds motion and support. The result is a top of the vertical blinds which are as attractive as the fabric blinds hanging below.

Upgraded valances are available. These usually will change the styling of the frames on the blinds valances. These framing pieces in the basic style are a plain ivory or white color. Upgraded designs will have a different shape and maybe some coordinated colors. The coordination is sometimes desirable, but usually not enough to overcome a bad design for the fabrics. Choosing a better quality vertical blind fabric will be sufficient for most to make a pretty product, and the valance is dressed up by using this same material in the valance as the insert.

When selecting vertical blinds, one should make sure to know if a valance is included. If one is not, either see if one is available for a surcharge, or move along and buy somewhere else. Buying a vertical blind without a valance is like buying a car without a body. The ugly track and control system is meant to be hidden, and when visible, will make sure that your hard work and investment is overshadowed by an industrial vertical blind track.

Selecting Among Different Fabrics For Vertical Blinds

Since the early 1980's, vertical blinds have been a very popular way to dress windows and doors in the US. Because of their functionality and because vertical blind louvers freely hang from their track mechanism, these louvers can be fabricated from different types of materials such as fabrics, screens or rigid PVC. In the early days of vertical blinds. louvers were interconnected via a clip and chain in the case of fabric or screen materials or via a #6 chain which connected the PVC louvers through a keyhole punch in the vanes. As the product evolved over the years, this “interconnecting” has been discontinued as unnecessary and perhaps unsightly.

Due to the fact, as previously mentioned, that vertical blind louvers are always free hanging and able to sway, noise is a factor to be considered whenever a purchasing decision is being made. If vertical blinds fabricated of PVC are used to block light or control radiant heat from entering a room, the consumer must remember that PVC louvers swaying against one another will create a bothersome sound which may prevent you from a good night's sleep if moved by the moving force of air from your air conditioning vent.

Due to these concerns with vertical blinds with PVC louvers, vertical blinds with fabric louvers are not only an excellent choice but their popularity has proven that this benefit is desired by many consumers. Additionally, fabric vertical blinds are available in hundreds of patterns and colors not available in PVC. Consumers should also be aware of the different quality levels of fabric louvers which will ultimately affect the way they hang, longevity, translucency factors and the ease of cleaning. High quality fabrics will always hang straight, last many years and can be easily cleaned with soapy water and damped dry projecting a sharp appearance regardless of their age.

Most of the vertical blind fabric louvers are manufactured using two basis methods which are weaving and stitch bonding. These two types of fabrics are very different in feel and appearance and I will elaborate on the difference in the following paragraphs.

Stitch bonded fabrics are manufactured in a process with fibers which are compressed and then stitched through. Sometimes the stitching, which is there in part to hold the material together, is designed in a certain style in order to create a pattern. These patterns are usually linear, running the length of the fabric. Stitch bonded fabrics, for those who may not know are often used as curtain liners in draperies, and while these materials usually are not as heavy as the type used in vertical blinds, they do reflect the way the fabric is manufactured. They are usually much lower in cost than woven fabric vertical blinds.

Conversely, woven fabrics are traditionally manufactured using high-end, fast weaving equipment which presses one thread down while inserting the next thread into place at very high rates of speed and with great accuracy. This process enhances the durability of the fabric over time thus the reason why it is used to manufacture fabric clothing of all types. One of the additional benefits of this process is the production of many of many more styles and patterns when compared to stitch bonding. Regarding vertical blinds, woven fabrics, albeit more expensive, do project a finer appearance and will look “new” much longer that stitch bonded fabrics.

Based on the aforementioned facts, you can now make a right decision when choosing vertical blind fabric louvers. The less expensive stitch bond with a limited selection of patterns and colors or the richer looking woven fabric, albeit more expensive, with a larger selection of patterns, colors and styles. Your decision will affect the appearance of the specific space for years to come and a little higher initial cost may make a big difference. Invest wisely in your vertical blinds

Homeowners Can Be Successful Selecting Bamboo Shades

Planning for light control and privacy is a part of the mix of the decision for selecting bamboo shades. The other element used to make these product decisions is decor and design. Bamboo shades can be quite lovely, and they can do a great job of providing privacy, but there is alot to learn for homeowners making decisions regarding this product. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on the privacy elements of bamboo shades as the sole topic.

Privacy becomes an issue when one lives in a community. It relates to the security that one wishes to have, so the concern of others knowing what we are doing is what we are trying to control. Bamboo shades patterns are almost universally private. The fact that over 95% of the window can be covered with a beautiful material, will shield most of your space for security. However, the proper installation of a bamboo shade will protect your room from the most prying of eyes.

If the bamboo shade does not go down all the way, or does not conceal every side for one reason or another, then the occupants might lack the complete privacy desired. An outside mounted shade can provide more privacy, but it will really work very well if the bamboo shade is extends several inches past the window opening in every direction. Remember that an outside mount bamboo shade will usually hang an inch or two in front of the window, so prying eyes could see past the sides when desired. So, a bamboo shade ordered six inches wider will have a three inch extension on the sides, to offer greater difficulty in snooping. A benefit of these larger shades is that they will also provide an appearance of a larger looking window.

Next, when privacy is the concern, look at the type of material being used. Remember that overlapping sticks is our friend when it comes to private bamboo shades. There are some patterns that have larger openings between the slats. These are not a real problem for most people. However, if one is truly concerned about privacy and security, then the bamboo shades that use fabric with overlapping sticks will provide a much higher level of privacy. Look at the material, or simply verify that it overlaps, and that will do to ensure this feature.

To have the most private bamboo shades, make sure to purchase them lined. A lining on these materials will ensure that any gaps, and there are always some, will be covered. Make sure to order your bamboo shades as outside mount when you buy them lined. This will make sure that the lining will cover the window opening. Another benefit of the lining on bamboo shades is that the patterns will be featured to be more beautiful in this presentation. Finally, bamboo shades which are lined can provide tremendous lighting control, and can add for real room darkening, as well.

When planning your spaces for privacy, bamboo shades can be a participating element. Open windows with a view can still be kept beautiful and retain the beauty that one may desire. However, the proper selection of bamboo shades can ensure that the window is still private and that the security of your space is kept intact. Bamboo shades can help keep your privacy and security, but take care in selecting which patterns to use, how to measure and have them installed, and whether to line them or not to do so. Choosing wisely will allow for decor, privacy and so much more.

Patio Ideas

This Patio ideas information is all about the topic that you have been looking for, take your time to read. Most of the time many home owners get their patio ideas from neighbors, friends and even home design magazines. Why is this space so significant for the household? Well, if we regard that the big advantage of living in a house comes from the possibility to spend lots of time outside in the garden, then it is more than obvious why the patio plays such an essential role. It is an ideal place to make barbecues and small cookouts for family and friends, not to reference that the warm summer evenings are much more attractive when you spend them outside. Fortunately, patio ideas are very easy to find if you don't come up with them yourself. Here are a few tips that may be of help.

Essentially the matter with patio design is that you need to utilize the patio ideas to a particular space that has its peculiarities. Try to make a sketch of the area and measure the roughly footage so as to find out which patio ideas are the better match. If you have not made up your mind yet, parks, malls and other public places can really be extremely inspirational. Nevertheless, the Net is one great source of inspiration if you don't come up with anything you like. An important face to weigh is the total ambiance and the actual purpose you want to build the patio for.

Easily you can find patio ideas to design built-in barbecue grills or to create a special seating room arrangement. Then, light plays an huge function in the look you expect from the patio, since much of the time you spend here is in the evening, and the alternative of fixtures is intimately affiliated with the way seating room are created. The character of seating is consequently one other facet of patio ideas that has to be covered; some home owners will select a patio in the backyard with a seating area pattern decent for gatherings. There are a number of other things to reckon when you get to utilise the patio ideas into real design.

When it comes to the materials for the building of the patio they are the ones to determine the look and the aura of the area. For advanced patio ideas you can select combinations of wood with brick or stone; nevertheless, cement is also very common for the paving of the patio. The moment you have the design idea clear, you can move on to devising the plan and start work at the project. You'll see that along the way, there will be other challenges and things you need to take care of...

Home Styled Vertical Blinds On Entertainment Sets

When planning a set for a show, be it a movie or a television show, every set designer will come across the opportunity to select window treatments. This is a situation where several important challenges must be met. The window treatments must fit with the application of the set, to show a true reality of who would have selected these products for the target location. Blinds should not increase the noise level on a production. The products usually are desired to be attractive, and durable. Finally, one would like the blinds to arrive quickly, when working last minute with tight deadlines can make it difficult to know in advance what is required.

A set should reflect the stylings of the environment and the occupants. One who is selecting for a hospital set should consider for a different decor when compared to an office suite. A great element of fabric vertical blinds is that they are capable of being used in both such settings. The selection will often relate to the size of the window blinds and the proximity of the window treatments to the surrounding items. An example is that an office suite, and keep in mind we are only using that as an example, may have the vertical blinds immediately next to the desk of the occupants, while a hospital will often have a space in front of the blinds. This allows for more of the vertical blinds to be visible, but also keep in mind that often office occupants wish to have large looking and grand appearances, so the larger height of the windows can be covered well by vertical blinds.

Often a set designer will try to save money by using a lower cost PVC vertical blind. While it is true that many vertical blinds from PVC are looking increasingly like fabric, it is not always true that the cost is significantly less. As oil prices have risen world wide, so too have the prices for PVC vertical blinds. In addition to this, consider that noises on the set can disturb production, and PVC blinds can be loud. For this end alone, fabric vertical blinds can be an excellent choice. They are extremely quiet, and will actually help to dampen extraneous noises.

Unless one is designing a low rent set, attractive designs are often required. This is a chance to showcase your talent as a designer. Fabric vertical blinds offer such a large range of colors and designs, that a set planner can feel confident that there will be a successful appearance. While the past plan would have been to select a close color, with the increasingly high quality of replay equipment, the patterns are more important, so high quality vertical blinds will help to make the scene.

While the sets are sometimes reused, often the products will be moved and bumped often. Vertical blinds tracks are high above the action, protecting them from much damage. At the same time, quality fabric vertical blinds will be safe from some of the banging of the set fixtures. If extreme wear is expected, one can order extra fabric vanes, and can also remove the vertical blinds slats when needed. However, consider that the removal should not be too regular so as to not put extreme wear on parts.

Unlike large drapes, vertical blinds can be produced quickly. Even as a custom design, fabric vertical blinds can be processed and produced in a matter of two weeks, usually, and sometimes a little faster. This quick production can help when working with the quick and tight deadlines that are so common in your business.

So, when selecting window treatments for a set, consider the versatility, attractiveness, low noise levels, and ease of receiving vertical blinds as your solution. Fabric vertical blinds also, by the way, have the ability to change the colors without much difficulty, so should this project end, the set plans can continue on forward. Fabric vertical blinds are a great window treatment choice for set designers looking for quality blinds.

Is It Feasible To Update Fabric Vertical Blinds

Vertical blinds are exactly what their name implies, a blind that is designed as a vertical product and somehow functions in this manner. Vertical blinds should perform as designed, in other words, they should traverse from side to side, rotate open and close and look as pleasing as they did when they were new when the vanes, either fabric or pvc, were shiny and clean and the components function properly in order to provide all the benefits they were designed to do. And one more thing of great importance - has the vertical blind remained properly installed? A vertical blind that is not properly installed will not operate at its full capacity.

If your vertical blind does not meet all of the aforementioned factors, then it can be said your vertical blind is suffering from what is commonly known as “wear and tear”. This situation is a common part of the life of any product and can easily be corrected. However, this situation can be postponed longer into the future if the issue of quality is taken into consideration when making the original purchase. Quality vertical blinds may have hidden features that the average consumer would not realize and also higher quality vertical blinds may be easier to maintain and repair. These facts will not only prolong the life span of the vertical blind but will continually give the user pleasure.

Vertical blinds can be fabricated using fabric vanes and in this case the consumer should inquire about the wash ability of the fabric. Higher quality vertical blind fabric vanes are washable and thus can be kept looking clean over longer periods of time. Normally, vertical blind fabric vanes are not machine washable but the fabric can be spot cleaned by hand using a mild detergent and then having the area dabbed dry with a clean rag. The manufacturer of the fabric should always be consulted when the need arises. Careful consideration should be given to the proper and recommended cleaning instructions before proceeding.

Due to the vertical design of the product itself and the lack of horizontal surfaces where dust can accumulate, most vertical blinds can be maintained looking “fresh” by simply dusting often. Static electricity oftentimes contributes to the adherence of dust to the vertical blind vanes and in this case the use of an antistatic cloth is recommended. This action will reduce or eliminate most of the static in the future and thus lowering the maintenance required.

Vertical blind vanes made of PVC have gained popularity over the years and if this is the case, PVC vanes can be easily removed from the vertical blind track and washed with detergent either in your bathtub or in the yard using a water hose. Be fully sure that your blinds are fully dry before reinstalling onto the track to avoid unsightly water spots. Be extra careful whenever removing and reinstalling the vanes that the track carriers are not damaged as this may cause you to have the track repaired and result in a necessary monetary expense.

Should one or more of your PVC slats be broken or missing this is a sign that your vertical blind is suffering from “wear and tear” and replacement of the complete blind should be considered. This is not only a sign of wear and tear but also could be a display of age of the blind.

The mechanical function of all the components of the vertical blind is critical to the operation of the product and they should be tested and periodically maintained. This would simply require the pulling of the cord to insure the blind is smoothly traversing and the chain to check on the rotation of the louvers. If the louvers do not properly align when rotated you may simply need to pull the chain to a limit point and then exercise a greater than normal pulling force to bring the misaligned carrier(s) into synch with the rest of the carriers assuming that the carrier system in your vertical blind track is of the self-aligning variety found in higher quality vertical blinds. Spraying a light coat of silicone inside the vertical track will improve the movement of the carriers, ease the operation of the product and improve the quietness of the traversing operation.

One more thing often overlooked is the proper installation of the cord pulley to the wall surface. When the cord pulley is properly installed and the correct amount of tension is put on the pull cord, the carrier system will operate efficiently and much more smoothly.

Regardless of the product, there is no substitute for proper and regularly scheduled maintenance as this will maintain the smooth and safe operation of all products especially those products with which we interact on daily basis. This fact applies to vertical blinds regardless of what is said during the sales/purchase process. If your vertical blinds look old and worn, go forward and replace them with new ones bringing a bright and shiny look to that room and thus rewarding yourself with the pleasure and enjoyment that every room in your home should bring to you every day!

Wireless Doorbell: Is It Right For Your Home?

The Wireless Doorbell has proven to be a great tool for many homeowners. Although it is a relatively new invention, it has had a dramatic effect on the doorbell industry. Many homeowners have wrestled with the decision of whether to add it to their home. Here is a list of some of its advantages and disadvantages:

1. No wires makes for easy installation and portability.
A wireless doorbell does not have wires. This means installation is as simple as removing the old wired doorbell and putting in the batteries to the wireless doorbell. Also, no wires means the wireless doorbell can be moved on a whim. This can be very helpful when undergoing remodeling projects or trying to find a better range strength.

2. Wireless Doorbells are more versatile than Wired Doorbells.
Wireless Doorbells work great in places where wired doorbells are not allowed or cannot work. Not surprisingly, wireless doorbells are a hit with apartment and those who live in leased homes. This is because they get a quality doorbell that they can keep in compliance with the landlord and even take the doorbell with them when they move. This is great versatility. Also, wireless doorbells work in homes that can’t use regular wiring for a wired doorbell.

3. Range Limits are expanding to even larger limits.
One knock on early wireless doorbells were their limited ranges. However, this issue has been addressed by more powerful transmitters. Regular versions of wireless doorbells will be adequate for most homes. However, for homes that are multi-floored or are simply quite large, long range wireless doorbells have been made. These doorbells have ranges that extend well beyond the basic regular range and provide quality sound as well.

4. Competitively priced compared to wired doorbell systems.
One of the most compelling benefits of a wireless doorbell is that they are competitively priced with wired doorbells. You can reasonably expect to pay only $5 or $10 more for a similar model. This is great news for those of fears that anything electronic must mean expensive.

5. Signal Interference is an issue with cheaper models.
Another problem with some wireless doorbells is signal interference. Unfortunately, for cheaper wireless doorbell models, they will sometimes go off accidentally when triggered by some other wireless device. This could be anything from a neighbor’s garage door opener, car alarm, or another wireless doorbell. The good news is the more moderately priced and higher end wireless doorbells have multiple frequencies which allow you to block out any signal interference.

Although the wireless doorbell is not perfect, many people have found it to be exactly what they are looking for in terms of performance quality and functionality.

Bamboo Shades And Their Trending Changes

As the growth of any product increases, there will be a deepening of the available options out there. Often, the newer choices will be the best. Imagine the time when the re were only a few choices of personal computers. Later, even now, there are so many options. Given this inevitable flow of new options for products, one should not be surprised that there are so many new choices of window treatments available. In addition to the wide range of product choices, there is a deep and wide range of style and design with each category. This article will focus on the options available for bamboo shades. The old style of sticks interlaced with threads, which may have had only a few color choices, but not many design options, is the past. Now, perhaps due in part to enhanced production methods, as well as a desire to match almost every design plan, has led to a time which may well be the renaissance of bamboo shades.

The new trends in bamboo shades have included a movement towards the unconventional. Traditional American consumers have gone for basic white in window treatments. While there have always been sales of white bamboo shades, woven woods consumers have usually trended more toward the unique patterns. This will include different types of slat materials as well as new weaving and interlacing of threads.

Basic stick design has been replaced by more bamboo looking materials. The bamboo shades which use tortoise shell patterns are now increasingly common. These bamboo shades sometimes are colored differently, including black or red, which makes for a different type of color splash compared to the traditional greenish brown colors. Other designs use different sections of the split bamboo as the base. Much of this material was considered not attractive enough for bamboo shades, but now, with new production techniques, as well as the other new trends discussed in this article, these former scrap discards are being used in a productive way.

While the basic brown, beige, or white threads are still available, the trends here are towards more durable threads, which will last longer under strong exposure to the sun light. Bamboo shades also use newer colors, including green, red, and chocolate, and this range can allow for a design that may have looked commonplace to now look rich and new. This slight change is usually not noticeable as to the cause, but upon close examination of the threads, one will notice that a simple difference in color is the cause of the style enhancement for the bamboo shades.

The third most common way in which bamboo shades patterns are evolving is a new style of weaving the threads. The traditional shades had a simple drop in the threads, with a weave that mimicked plain flat fabric. However, the newer designs include braids, macrame, and twists. The woven threads themselves are beautiful enough to make a window treatment. However, the blending with old and new bamboo sections makes for a new and crisp treatment, worthy of a design award when used in a fashionable living room.

As the trends for higher fashion design ebb and flow in bamboo shades, consumers will be offered a fine new array of exquisite styling. Consumers should try to learn more about these new designs, all of which are available in real bamboo for prices similar to the less expensive and less design focused plastic options. The online retailers are the fastest to the market with these choices, but the unfortunate loss in ability to touch the real material is worth the trade off when realizing such great high fashion bamboo shades for one's spaces.

Environmentalists Love Bamboo Shades

We can all talk about global warming and the perils that we all face in the environment, but if we do not act first at home, then all we are doing is talking. Yes, we do need to drive less, cutting the fuel we use. If we drive slower, we will also cut down our fuel usage. However, these are the most simple and obvious of the changes that we can make, and so many people can make more simple change at home, and that will have a bigger impact than any other changes we can make. Our homes consume a lot of energy. If we can limit this, then we can cut down our impact. Many of the changes that can help may be made easily with bamboo shades. While many window treatments can provide some of these benefits, and plastic simulated woven woods may provide some, only real bamboo shades made from the natural woods, can really provide all these great benefits, and they can still remain affordable.

Bamboo shades can help us cut the light that enters, giving us lower cooling bills. Many people cool their homes during the summer months using electrical systems. The light managing and heat managing benefits of bamboo shades blocking the sunlight are innumerable. Bamboo shades can block as much as one hundred percent of the light, and basic open shades can block from twenty five percent to over ninety percent of the light. This is an approximation of the amount of heat that can be kept out, and with the blocking of heat, we are also reducing the need to cool our spaces. All by using woven wood shades. The benefits of keeping the light and heat out has the extra benefit of reducing the wear and tear on your furnishings.

When arriving at home to change one's clothing, most people will lower the blinds or shades in order to not reveal themselves to the world. The next step would be to turn on the lights, thus using electricity. However, many bamboo shades can give us privacy with retained daylight, so we do not have to use artificial lights. Using unlined bamboo shades, there will still be enough natural daylight to enter the window and thus home occupants can use the bamboo shades to have privacy and to only filter the light and thus, save energy.

When considering the increased use of bamboo shades, one should ponder whether it might be a wise choice to be growing and milling bamboo for bamboo shades. As it turns out, bamboo shades are among the most environmentally friendly window treatments one could buy. There are usually no, or limited plastic parts, in the finished shade. Glues are usually silicone based, and there is not a huge electrical need in shade manufacturing. Going back to the fields, where the bamboo is grown, because bamboo is such a hearty tree, which grows very fast, there is very little need for fertilizers to be applied or for pesticides to be applied. The factories for the manufacture of the fabric are often low impact, as well, using human labor for assembly often in the place of energy intensive machinery. Bamboo shades are highly sensitive, and not only look natural, but they also are great choices for the environment.

Finally, one should consider the bamboo shades when they are to be replaced. These materials are almost completely biodegradable. With the exception of the metal and plastic parts, which are very small, the bamboo and threads in the shades will disintegrate relatively quickly, so one can rest assured that the disposed shades will not simply pile up in a heap. Rather, bamboo shades will eventually revert to an environmentally useful changing element. Instead of a pile of plastic from the cheap shades, real bamboo shades can help the planet.

In the end, window treatments can be part of a general strategy to improve our home environments. Bamboo shades may be particularly helpful. Woven wood shades can filter the light and still provide privacy. Bamboo shades are easily recycled. Bamboo shades are excellent at providing light control so cooling bills may be controlled. In general, it can be a great environmental decision to use bamboo shades.